1964-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1964 August Voice | Page 35

FLORENCE, ALABAMA
GRACIOUS HOST TO
EXHIBITORS AND
SPECTATORS
by Gloria L. Spencer
The Muscle Shoals Shrine Club
is to be commended for the ex­
cellent production of a Horse Show
on July 4, 1964. This organization
found that the key to a successful
show was to give good money, be
courteous to the exhibitors and
provide good entertainment for the
local spectators. Never has this
writer been treated so graciously
and as the old saying goes, “a good
time was had by all”.
Mr. Tom Watkins, Ringmaster
for the event, stated that they
would like to see more horses in
the various classes next year, how­
ever they had 150 horses entered
and for a one night show this is
good. The spectators numbered
over 5000 and what a crowd! They
were most enthusiastic, and at
times sounded like the tremendous
boom that only comes from the
stands at the Celebration. The
Club gave over $2000 in prize money
and has cleared $3000 to be used
by the Shrine Club in various
charitable ways, including their
special project, Hope Haven School.
The show was under the capable
management of Mr. Bill Copeland
with the renowned Emmett Guy at
the microphone. The Honorable
Hall McNabb was the Walking
Horse Judge for this show. Each
class was well filled with horses
with top honors going to Bud Dunn
atop SUN DUST PRECISION in
the Two Year Old Stallion Class
and SUN DUST PERFECTION in
the Stake Class. I went by the
Dunn Stables that afternoon and
things were certainly busy, but his
wife, Charlotte took time out to
invite us in their lovely home and
show us some of that famous
Southern hospitality. Bud has
turned out some top horses this
season and is doing a tremendous
job of winning blue ribbons in
1964. Mr. N. W. Putman on NONA
DARLING GIRL won the Two
AUGUST, 1964
WHAT A CROWD . . . this picture of the grandstand at the show grounds of
the Florence Alabama Horse Show illustrates the tremendeous response given to
this project by the local citizenry.
MIGHTY FINE . . . this young exhibitor
was enduced to park his Walking Pony
long enough for your photographer to
get this shot. ON THE JOB . . . two members of the
Muscle Shoals Shrine Club are seen at
the exit gate where they were kept busy
moving the horses out at the end of each
class.
Year Old Filly Class. The Men’s
Amateur Class was won by Sam
Hall and his MR. PIDDLEY and
the striking Raye Graham and
SUN’S PAPER DOLL won the
Ladies Amateur Class. That big
going mare, SETTING SUN’S
SUPREME, that the Cooley’s are
so pleased with this year and Al­
bert Lee Rowland won the Mare
Class, with top honors in the Junior
Class going to Kenny Dickson and
SUN DUST OF MIDNIGHT, own­
ed by Owen Fullen of Athens, Ten­
nessee. Complete results of this
show are in the Horse Show Re­
sults Section of this issue.
The day following this show was
spent visiting some of the local
horse owners in and around Flor­
ence. There seems to be a tre­
mendous interest in the Walking Horse throughout the state of Ala­
bama. Mr. Tom Watkins has an ex­
tremely well-built stallion standing
at his farm in Florence, HAPPY
DAYS K by PRIDE OF PANOLA.
He also has some top bred brood
mares that have produced some
loose going colts sired by this stal­
lion. All the colts are yearlings
now, but should be watched in the
near future.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Byers also have
a fine looking stallion standing at
their farm, just a few miles from
the Watkins farra. His name is
EVENING SUN S by SUN DUST
out of SUN’S MIDNIGHT MAUDE.
Judy and Bill say that business is
good in and around Alabama be­
cause they are selling horses and
that’s the kind of news we like to
hear everywhere we go.
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